“Snot”, “leftover food”: a Belgian cycling team forbids barbs

The sporting director of the Flemish team Sport Vlaanderen, Walter Planckaert, now prevents his riders from wearing a beard.

Also known for his role as pilot-fish of the French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni for his imposing black beard, the cyclist Geoffrey Soupe (Cofidis) will never be able to join the Belgian team Sport Vlaanderen. Unless he agrees to make a radical change in style. The sports director of the Flemish team, Walter Planckaert, has forbidden his riders to wear a beard. A measure as aesthetic as hygienic according to him.

Walter Planckaert said to tolerate beards of a few days. But not more. Riders who do not wish to comply with this new rule are invited to find another team. Pro-Continental training, the second division of cycling, Sport Vlaanderen revealed several young Belgian riders like Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), one of Romain Bardet’s lieutenants on the last Tour de France